Grand Island Central School District: Active shooter drill set for May 22

Sat, May 12th 2018 07:00 am

Grand Island Central School District will conduct an active shooter training and lock-down drill Tuesday, May 22, at the Grand Island High School and Veronica Connor Middle School campus, 1100 Ransom Road.

This training session, which will occur during the morning school hours, will involve a scenario in which an intruder has entered the campus with the intent to do harm. The scenario will also involve student actors and simulated gunfire in the high school building. While this practice drill will occur while classes are in session, both buildings and district office will be placed in lock-down where students are in a supervised area and out of sight while law enforcement personnel practice their procedures for addressing such a situation.

"There will be a significant presence of law enforcement and emergency responders all participating in the drill that morning," the district said in a press release. "Any visitors to the HS-MS campus during the morning hours will not be able to enter the campus.

"The purpose of engaging in an active shooter training drill is to refine the district's building emergency preparedness plans. The Erie County deputy commissioner for emergency management civil defense and Homeland Security is assisting the district in the further development of these safety protocols. The district's safety team also includes key officials from the Erie County Sheriff's Office, the New York State Police, the Grand Island Police, the Border Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additionally, while many law enforcement officials will be participating in the drill on May 22, there will be other designated police and first responders available to the community in the event there is a real emergency.

The district asks that those with questions direct them to the superintendent's office at 716-773-8801.